SteelSeries unveils R.U.S.E. mouse, mat

Peripherals expert SteelSeries has announced its latest mouse and surface combo, themed to fit in with the up-coming R.U.S.E. RTS from Ubisoft.

The two products - one a high-end mousepad and the other a laser-driving gaming mouse - are themed to fit in with the World War II-era setting of the game, but the technology is pretty up to date.

The mouse - the SteelSeries Xai Laser Mouse R.U.S.E. Edition, to give it its rightful moniker - is a pretty powerful peripheral, featuring a sensor capable of of processing 10.8 megapixels per second - that's 12,000 frames per second at 5,001 counts per inch - and tracking movement speeds of up to 150 inches per second - or, to put it another way, a whopping eight and a half miles per hour.

The bundled software, which allows the user to assign macros to the seven dedicated buttons - in addition to the two main buttons and the scroll-wheel, which are also software-adjustable - will come with a dedicated profile for R.U.S.E. designed to make it as easy as possible to get the most out of the game.

The SteelSeries QcK Limited Edition (R.U.S.E.) mousepad, on the other hand, might not be programmable or able to track 150 inches per second of movement, but it's certainly pretty - and the company claims that its cloth covering is carefully designed to provide an optimised textured surface that guarantees a smooth ride for the Xai Laser Mouse. A non-slip rubber base provides a bit of weight while ensuring that it doesn't go slip-sliding around as you're commanding your troops.

Both the mouse and the pad will go on sale on the 14th of May, for £69.99 and £12.99 respectively, through the company's website and selected third-party retailers such as Amazon.

Could the R.U.S.E. branded series be the peripherals you've been searching for, or is there some critical function that SteelSeries has missed with its latest creations? Share your thoughts over in the forums.